The Museum of 2,000 Corpses: These are the Italian catacombs filled with mummies that you can visit for just $6

Today, in places you may not have known but now feel the need to visit at least once in your life, we’re going to take a look at the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo. As its name suggests, this site is located in Palermo, Sicily (Italy), and are ceremonial catacombs built in 1597. They are, in essence, a cemetery founded by the Order of the Friars Minor Capuchin of Palermo, the religious organization founded by Matteo de Bascio along with other Franciscans.

For several decades, the Capuchin Catacombs have become a major tourist attraction for all those visiting the city of Palermo. The facility has been designated a museum, and its interior is accessible for a modest fee of between $4 and $6. The catacombs are divided into numerous interconnecting tunnels. The most impressive feature is the corpses, many of which are standing in their niches, both skeletons and mummified ones.

Not even those responsible for the management and maintenance of the catacombs are able to confirm the exact number, but they estimate that there are around 2,000 bodies. History and curiosity lovers will especially enjoy visiting the catacombs, as some areas are unique, such as a place called the Crucifix, which only houses the bodies of young women and virgins.

Also very interesting is the fact that the catacombs are divided into corridors: the family corridor houses only bodies from the same family; the children’s corridor is for children; and the professional corridor, as its name suggests, houses prominent professionals (painters, lawyers, doctors, etc.), such as the sculptor Lorenzo Marabitti and the surgeon Salvatore Manzella.

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According to the site’s official website, there is a legend that says one of its corpses is that of Count Alessandro di Cagliostro, whom Napoleon Bonaparte searched for unsuccessfully for a long time.

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